Many fear for the reduction in career opportunities in the field of traditional, longform and print journalism as result of the increasing demand in ‘online journalism’. Online Journalism may be more efficient, but is it reliable enough? Current journalism students themselves have their say about this issue.

“I think online journalism is an easier and faster way for people to get ‘news’ items and information; some people will definitely prefer that depending on their circumstances or their purposes.” (John Durrant – UOW student)

Is newspaper and traditional ‘newsroom’ journalism being destroyed in contemporary society as result of accessibility and affordability of the Internet? With millions of people on twitter, facebook and Youtube, access to online links, articles, blogs, and the ‘sharing; of news stories has never been so easy. It’s changed the way large newsrooms and newspapers share their content.

When a number of aspiring journalists were asked what they thought about the notion of deteriorating “traditional journalism”, an overwhelming sense of concern in job opportunities was evident. “The down side of it [onlne journalism] is that lots of people are losing their jobs because of it… I am so worried about getting a job in this field because its so competitive and there are very limited opportunities available” (Emma Davies). Emma can not see herself doing anything else apart from journalism; ever since she was little she knew this was the career she was gong to pursue, “I’ll keep striving to do well and learn more about this field.” Ashleigh field agrees that the shift in journalism practices has increased the way we hear about a news story, and as a result varying career opportunities, “There are so many options and so many directions you can go. It’s all about engaging the viewer.”

With Online journalism taking off in contemporary society, most people now head to online social media sites initially, in order to grasp a sense of opinions and discussions with the option of clicking links and articles shared by friends. These links take them straight to the article in a matter of seconds, with further stories and links included, “News is literally at our fingertips” (Ashleigh Field). This adaption has lead to a race against reporters as to who can get their story out the fastest. Many will read bits and pieces of articles, followed by a number of tweets about the issue, but then still reach for the local newspaper to read the full story if it is appealing enough.
With the growth of online journalism, is it evident that many aspiring journalists have shifted the direction of their career, to more online/digital based aspirations,“I just feel that it’s the field that will have the most opportunities available.” (Lauren Ferri, UOW student) Lauren believes that with the increase in demand for faster and more efficient news stories, Online journalism is the best career option.

Online journalism may be fast, cheap and easily accessible but is it reliable? University student john Durrant shares what he thinks about the ‘evolution’ of technological journalism – “I often check my phone for a quick headline update but will always go to longform if I’m really interested. I think real online journalism can be effective and informative, but rarely is it story telling”. John is adamant and persistent that he will have a successful career in “newspaper” journalism – this form in his opinion is the most reliable, engaging and truthful.

What do you think is the most effective form of journalism? Have YOUR say!

“Ultimately, someday, the print product will be gone… Only a few major national or international newspaper ‘brands’ will survive in electronic form, and that local news will come to be delivered by, and attached to, a variety of other online services.” (Kelly Toughill – http://j-source.ca/article/why-newspaper-headed-extinction-study )

Lara Sinclair clarifies the notion of a slow death of traditional newspapers, noting they “will cease to exist in seven years.” Sinclair also suggests that newsprint will be “insignificant” in 52 countries by 2040 – replaced by technologies such as “lightweight, interactive digital paper that can show video, but can also be rolled and folded.” Online journalism is essentially ‘taking over’ traditional forms, with many job losses expected: Modifications in journalism production is critical.

Online journalism has become such a crucial focus with many preferring digital journalism over “newspapers”, that consequently large corporations have altered the way they present their news. In the article, http://www.niemanlab.org/2014/05/the-new-york-times-is-restructuring-its-page-1-meetings-to-be-more-digital-as-that-big-report-suggested/, the Nieman Journalism Lab discuss the New York Times leaked innovation for moving in a more digital news direction, due to the concern in competitors’ fast advancements – “Some of our traditional competitors have aggressively reorganized around a digital-first rather than a print-first schedule”
The article goes on to say that the publisher’s son repeated insistently the need to keep moving toward being “digital first.”
Dale Crossman tweeted on the 29th of May, “The New York Times is restructuring its Page 1 meetings to be more digital (as that big report suggested)”. – This is evidence that the New York Times, along with other large newspapers, are acting quickly in order for their traditional journalism to stay alive.
By adapting the way they present their news, and incorporating digital and online journalism, the New York Times hope to keep their status in the technological age.

Will they soon become extinct? What do you think?

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There are many ethical debates as to whether aggregating and curating information is legal, and whether it is acceptable to use other people’s original work for profit. In an article written by Steve Buttry, (http://stevebuttry.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/aggregation-guidelines-link-attribute-add-value/.) he recommends the use of an accuracy checklist derived from Craig Silverman’s guidelines, that includes checking attribution before you turn a story in or publish in order to keep the content legal and ethical. Buttry’s guidelines include: always link to original source, always include clear attribution, always use quotation marks when you use someone else’s words, add value by summarising or comparing and do not copy.
In this article ( http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/journalist-launches-news-curation-and-aggregation-platform/s2/a556014/?utm_content=bufferabb4d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer ) the author covers a variety of pros of aggregating and curating stories. The article debates that this form of journalism is crucial in contemporary journalism, as it allows for one to form their own opinion based on a number of sources, all accessible from the one place. The article also argues that people can easily share and save news stories, which is extremely important and valuable in today’s society. The Author quotes Mark Potts describing Newspeg (an aggregated and curated site) as “a site where people can really easily share and save news stories, in a visual kind of way, in a way that picks up graphics from the story but also lets people know where it came from”.

Aside from ethical problems, there is various debate around the legality of aggregation. In the article ( http://www.niemanlab.org ), kimberly Isbell and many others believe that using others people’s work is un-just, particularly to those who own the original article. To differentiate between stealing and violating copyright a curated piece of work one must reference, link and attribute appropriately.

So is aggregating and curating ethical and/or legal? For one to make their aggregated piece legal, as mentioned they must reference appropriately. Using other people’s work for profit is not ethical in the eyes of many yet it allows such a valuable element of journalism in the growing age of efficiency and accessibility.

What do YOU think about this up-coming issue in contemporary Journalism?